A Thousand Miles Apart
by SLPikachu
Summary: Dean calls home to talk to his family in between jobs. Based on the country song, "I'm Already There" by LoneStar.


**After spending a couple hours on YouTube and coming across Lonestar's "I'm Already There" song, this popped into my head. This takes place several months before _Going Back to Old Ways _while Dean is away on one of his hunting trips.**

**A Thousand Miles Apart**

Dean checked into a motel for the night, tired from another hunt and went inside his room, locking it behind him and went over to turn on one of the lamps beside the bed. It had been a long week and Dean hadn't slept much either, what with having to do the whole thing himself. Research and the hunt itself could take a lot out of a man, especially a man his age. How did his father do it all those years before he and Sam were old enough to hunt themselves, and at least Dean had the internet now.

He tossed himself down, onto the bed, wanting to fall asleep but realized it had been a while since he called home and knew a little someone would be pissed. Dean took off his boots and tossed them onto the floor before digging his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans.

As it rang, Dean removed his jacket and tossed it at the foot of the king-sized bed. After it rang three times, Sam answered. "Hey, Sammy," he told his little brother. "Sorry I haven't called. This last hunt really had me busy."

"It's okay, Dean," Sam assured him. "We all understand."

Dean forced a smile. "How's work?"

"Good. Had a lot of cases built up, the last couple of weeks," he shrugged. "The kids saw their babysitter more than they saw me. I thought I'd make it up to them and stay up late tonight to play the Wii together as a family. Wish you could be here to join us."

"Yeah, me too," Dean told him, sadly. He stared down at the bedspread. There was laughter in the background as his niece and nephew played video games together and Dean had to wipe a tear from his eye.

Before Dean knew it, a little voice came on the phone, "Uncle Dean, when are you coming home?" It was his little, five-year-old niece, Mary, soon to be six in a couple months.

"Not for another month, Tiger but I promise to be there in time for Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and especially your birthday," he assured his niece.

Mary sniffled. "I miss you. You didn't call for a whole week."

"I know, my job was busy and I had my mind on other things. I should have made time for you guys, though and I'm sorry," he tried to explain, sympathetically. "Am I forgiven?"

"I'll think about it," she replied with another sniffle.

Dean had to laugh at that. "Put your brother on for me," he told her. "And Mary…"

"Yes, Uncle Dean?"

"I love you, Tiger," he smiled.

"I love you too, Uncle Dean," Mary said.

"Good night. Be good for your dad and the babysitter," he reminded his niece.

"I will," she said. "Good night, Uncle Dean."

Soon, his ten-year-old nephew came on the phone. "Hey, Uncle Dean," he greeted his uncle, happily. "Scored a touchdown for you, the other day. Wish you could have been there to see it, Dad said it looked awesome."

"Your dad recorded it on his phone and sent it to me," Dean said. "I haven't watched it yet but I will when I hang up. How's everything else? Are you being the man of the house while I'm gone?" Dean snickered a little at that.

"Shouldn't that be Dad's job?" Jonathan asked.

Dean stopped snickering, smiling at the bedspread, "Well, you know how much of a girl, your dad can be."

They both laughed.

When Jonathan's turn was over, Sam got back on the phone. "See, we all really miss you, Dean…" Sam paused for a few seconds. "…But don't worry about the kids, though. They'll be all right."

Dean nodded to himself and closed his eyes. Even though he enjoyed hunting and saving people, it was harder not having his little brother right there, beside him, hunting too and a niece and nephew who loved him so much, and missing them too. Dean missed all three of them and wished he was there too but felt he couldn't just abandon the job when there were people to save.

Sam interrupted his brother's thoughts, "I gotta go, Dean. The kids are getting antsy for me to take my turn. Besides, you sound tried. Get some rest while you can and call us when you can. Okay?"

Dean forced down the lump that was starting to form in his throat. "Okay, Sam," he told him. "'Night."

"'Night, Dean." With that, the brothers both hung up.

Dean closed his phone and held it to his mouth, having the phone rest against it as he held his right arm balancing over his right, upturned knee. His niece and nephew's laughter and voices echoed through his mind and his brother telling him not to worry about them. How could he not? They were the only family, including Sam, Dean had left and he was a thousand miles away from them.


End file.
